Stories from Qaddaal · Mali

Al Qaeda-linked jihadists and Tuareg separatists have claimed control of the city of Qaddaal in northeastern Mali. Security analyst Ulf Lesing of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation stated in Cairo that returning to Bamako is currently not an option. The allied militant forces are reportedly gaining ground in the region. The situation remains described as a complicated picture. The region previously hosted French and UN Security Forces that supported the former government. Following a 2021 coup that brought the military junta to power, these international forces were expelled. The Russian mercenary group Afrika Korps has since departed the area.